Heating device for railroad rails and switches



W. GUENST March 27, 1934- HEATING DEVICE FOR RAILROAD RAILS AND SWITCHES Filed July 30, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR:

A ORNEY March 27, 1934. w, u s-r 1,952,539

HEATING DEVICE FOR RAILROAD RAILS AND SWITCHES Filed July 30, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

BY W x AgRNEm Patented Mar. 27, 1934 PATENT 'QF F I'C-E HEATING DEVICE F OR RAILROAD RAILS AND SWITCHES William 'Guenst, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor of one-half to Ernst L. Ruby, J enkintown, Pa.

Application July 30, 1930, Serial No. 471,735

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in heaters for railroad rails and switches.

Anobject of the invention is to provide a heater with an electrically heated heat conducting part having a broad surface in contact with a broad surface of a rail.

Another object is to provide a novel and advantageous means for mounting the heat conducting part and the heating element with relation to the rail and to the frame of the heater.

Another object is to provide spring clamping clips of novel construction and in novel association with the frame of the heater for holding v the heater frame and the rail together and for permitting the clips to be adjusted to different positions longitudinally of the rail with respect to the frame to avoid obstructions in parts of the road bed which would otherwise interfere with the placing of the heater in particular positions on the rail.

invention,

Figure 1 is a side view of a railroad rail and my improved heater applied thereto, showing a part of the heater in section.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section through the I rail and the heater on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse section through the rail, on line 33 of Fig. 1, showing the heater in end view.

Figure 4 is a transverse section through the i rail and the heater, on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 5 designates a portion of a railroad rail, and 6 my improved heater applied thereto.

The frame of the heater 6 comprises a platelike body '7 having end flanges 8 extending therefrom. The body 7 extends along the rail 5 with its upper and lower edge portions in close proximity to the bottom of the rail head 9 and the top of the rail base 10, respectively, at one side of the rail, and the flanges 8 extend from the ends of the body plate '7 toward the rail web 11 and close the ends of the space which is enclosed by the body plate '7 between the rail head 5 and rail base 10 inwardly of the plate 7.

Within the space 12 enclosed by the frame '7 between it and the rail 5 is a heat conducting part or bar 13 which extends along the rail 5 and between the h ad 9 and base 10 thereof, and which has a broad surface in contact with abroad surface of the rail web. The respective end portions of the part or bar 13 are secured to the frame plate 7 by screws 14 which extend through bosses 15 formed on the plate '7 and through sleeves interposed between the bosses 15 and part 13, and which are screwed into the part 13, as clearly illustrated in the drawings.

The frame 7 is provided with upper and lower ribs 16 and 1'7, respectively, which extend throughout the length of the frame, parallel With the rail 5; and the frame 7 and part 13 are held in place upon the rail by two spring clips 18. Each clip 18 comprises two arms 19 and 20 havingconnected ends and diverging from their connected ends. The arm 19 of each clip 18 is constructed to engage the ribs 16 and 17 of the frame 7, and the arm 20 is constructed to engage the bottom of the rail base 10. The free ends of the arms 19 and 20, of each clip, are provided with lugs 21 and 22, respectively, which extend inwardly or toward each other from the arms. The lug 22 is adapted to engage one side or edge portion of the rail base 10, and the lug 21 is adapted to hook over and engage the shoulder formed by the upper portion of the rib 16 and thereby hold the clip in place.

Before the spring clips are applied to the rail 5 and frame '7, the space between the arms 19 and 20 of each clip is somewhat less than that shown in Figs. 3 and 4, so that when the clips are applied the arms thereof will be sprung apart and thereafter firmly clamp the heater frame '7 and rail 5 together as the clips tend to resume the normal condition from which they were sprung.

The clips 18 are adjustable longitudinally of the rail 5 and of the heater frame 7 with respect thereto and with respect to each other so that they may be applied to the rail and frame in different positions of longitudinal adjustment thereon to avoid cross ties and other obstructions which would otherwise interfere with placing the heater in a desired position with respect to the rail.

The parts of the heater frame are fitted to the adjacent parts of the rail with sufiicient looseness to permit the spring clips 13 to press the part on bar 13 firmly against the rail web 11 in contact therewith and thereby insure the passage of heat from the part 13 to the rail 5 by conduction.

In applying each clip 18 to the rail 5 and heater frame '7 the lug 21 be first applied to the rib 16 and the remainder of the clip thereafter sprung into position, or the lug 22 may be first applied to the rail base it and the remainder of the clip thereafter sprung into position.

Extending longitudinally along the part or bar 13 is an electric heating element 23 which is clamped against the outer surface of the part 13 within a groove or channel therein by spaced plates 24 which extend transversely of the element 23 and above and below the same and are secured to the part or bar 13 by screws 25 above and below the heating element.

Arranged outwardly of the heating element 23 is a heat insulating plate 26 formed of asbestos or other suitable heat insulating material, for the purpose of reducing outward radiation of heat from the element 28 and directing the heat toward the part 13; this insulating plate is held in place against the plates 24 by screws 27 which penetrate the plates 24 and 26 and are screwed into the part or bar 13.

The heating element 23 may be of any suitable construction. Preferably it comprises a ribbon resistance manifold 28 contained within a suitable casing 29 of insulating material and having its ends connected to terminals 30 projecting from the casing 29 and connected to electric current conductors or wires 31 which extend through the space 12 and are connected to terminal portions 32 which extend through a housing niem ber 33 projecting from the central portion of the heater frame '1. This housing member 33 extends outwardly from within a hollow boss or projection 34 formed on the frame '7 and having an inwardly extending flange 35 at the outer end thereof which surrounds the housing member 33 and is engaged by an outwardly extending flange 36 on the inner end of the member 33. The outer end portion of the member 33 is exteriorly screw-threaded and a clamping nut or ring 37 is screwed onto the same. Surrounding the housing member 33 between the flange 35 and the nut 3'7 is a series of collars 38 each of which is provided with an outwardly-extending, annular heat radiating flange 39 for a purpose presently appearing. The member 33 and the collars 3S thereon are secured together and to the heater frame 7 by the nut 37 which, when tightened, clamps the frame flange 85 and collars 38 between the housing member flange 36 and the nut.

The outer end of the housing member 33 is closed by a wall 40 formed integral therewith and the terminal portions 32 of the electric current conductors or wires 81 extend through and outwardly beyond the wall 49. These terminal portions or members 32 are rigidly connected to the wall 40 and they are electrically insulated therefrom and from each other, and the outer end portions thereof are provided with suitable clamping nuts 41 by means of which current conducting wires 42 are detachably connected thereto.

The outer end portions of the terminal members 32 and the end portions of the wires 42 connected thereto are enclosed within a hollow head 43, one end of which is internally threaded and screwed onto the housing member 33. The other end of the head 43 terminates in a nipple or tubular portion 44 which is surrounded by and. connected to a flexible tube or conduit 45 of rubber or other suitable material. The tube 45 is held in place upon the nipple 44 by a suitable clamping collar 46 which surrounds the tube and the nipple. The wires 42 extend through the tube 45 and into the hollow head 43 and they lead from a suitable source of electric current protected by the tube which may be of any desired length to mee the particular conditions where the heater is installed.

It will now be understood that when electric current is supplied to the heating element through the wires 42 and 31, the element 23 will heat the part or bar 13 which will transmit the heat to the rail 5 by conduction.

When the heater is in operation some heat rem the element 23 will find its way into the .rarne 7 and the object of providing the flanges 9 is to radiate and dissipate such heat for the purpose of keeping the hose or conduit 45 and the wires 42 therein cool.

My improved heating device may be employed on railroad rails in any selected place where it is desired to heat the same for any purpose. It is usually employed in connection with switches for the purpose of preventing the accumulation of snow and ice in and around the same from interfering with the proper operation thereof during cold and stormy weather; and when it is so employed it is usually mounted on the side of the main or track rail opposite to the side thereof which faces a movable switch rail.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a heating device for railroad rails, a frame having a housing extending outwardly therefrom and having its outer end portion screw-threaded, an electric heating element carried by the frame, a nut screwed onto said housing, collars surrounding the housing between the frame and the nut, heat radiating flanges extending from the collars and electric current conductors extending through the housing and connected to said element.

2. In a heating device for railroad rails, a rame having a hollow projection extending outwardly therefrom and provided with an inwardly extending flange, an electric heating element carried by the frame, a housing member extending outwardly from within said projection and having an outwardly extending flange inwardly of and adapted to engage said outwardly extending flange, said member having its outer end portion screw-threaded, a nut screwed onto said member, collars surrounding the member between the frame and the nut, heat radiating flanges extending from the collars and electric current conductors extending through the housing and the projection and connected to said element.

3. In a heating device for railroad rails, a frame having a housing extending outwardly therefrom and provided with an outer end wall and having its outer end portion screw-threaded, an electric heating element carried by the frame, electric current conductors extending through the housing and connected to said element and having terminal portions rigidly connected to said end wall and insulated therefrom, a hollow headscrewed onto the housing, a flexible conduit detachably connected to and extending from said head and electric current conductors extending through said conduit and into said head and detachably connected to said terminals.

4. In a heating device for railroad rails, a frame having a housing extending outwardly therefrom and provided with heat radiating flanges and an outer end wall and having its outer end portion screw-threaded, an electric heating element carried by the frame, electric current conductors extending through the housing and connected to said element and having terminal portions rigidly connected to said end wall and insulated therefrom, a hollow head screwed onto the housing, a flexible conduit detachably connected to and extending from said head and electric current conductors extending through said conduit and into said head and detachably connected to said terminals.

5. In a heating device for railroad rails, a frame having a housing extending outwardly therefrom and provided with an outer end wall and having its outer end portion screw-threaded, an electric heating element carried by the frame, a nut screwed onto said housing, collars surrounding the housing between the frame and the nut, heat radiating flanges extending from the collars, electric current conductors extending through the housing and connected to said element and having terminal portions rigidly connected to said end wall and insulated therefrom, a hollow head screwed onto the housing, a flexible conduit detachably connected to and extending from said head and electric current conductors extending through said conduit and into said head and detachably connected to said terminals.

6. In a heating device for railroad rails, a frame adapted to extend along a rail and to enclose a portion of the space between the base and the head of the same, a heat conducting part adapted to extend along the rail web in contact therewith within said space, means for securing the respective end portions of said part to said frame, an electric heating element in close proximity to said part, means for securing said element to said part independently of the means for securing the end portions of the part to the frame, and means adapted to hold the frame and the rail together with said part in contact with the rail.

7. In a heating device for railroad rails, a frame adapted to extend along a rail and to enclose a portion of the space between the base and the head of the same, a heat conducting part adapted to extend along the rail Web in contact therewith within said space, means for securing the respective end portions of said part to said frame, a heat insulating plate adapted to occupy a position within said space, an electric heating element between said part and said plate, means for securing said element to said part independently of the means for securing the end portions of the part to-the frame, additional means for securing said plate to said part and means adapted to hold the frame and the rail together with said part in contact with the rail.

WILLIAM GUENST. 

